Oiser feance



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

' T. E. SGHIEPNER.

MACHINE FOR GOMBING RHEA, &c.

No. 339,327. PatentedApr. 6, 1886.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

T. E. SGHIEFNER.

MAGHINE FOR comma RHEA, &c.

No. 339,327. Patented Apr. 6,1886

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3. T. E. SOHIEFNER.

MACHINE FOR GOMBING RHEA, m.

wzesseg zavemia 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

(N0 ModeL) T. E. SOHIEPNEB. MACHINE FOR GOMBING RHEA, 850.

Patented Apr. 6, 1886.

ll llllll Wfimess e s.

NITED STATES Pn'rnnr @rrrcn.

'rn'nononn nucnnn sonmrnnn, or :ussonnns, nnrnnrnnn r or SEINE-ET- orsn. FRANCE.

MACHINE FOR C'OMBING RHEA, 84.0.

ElZPlLCIFICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 339,327, dated April 6, 1886.

Application filed September :14, 1885. Serial No. 178,051. (No model.)

To (ZZZ whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, THEODORE EUGENE Sernnnxnn, of Essonnes, Department of Seineet-Oise, in the Republic of France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machinery for Oombing Rhea or Bamie and other Long Textile Fibers, of which the following is a specification.

The machine in which my improvements 1( are comprised is one designed with special reference to combing rhea and other long textile fibez-ssuch as nettles, hemp, flax, 8:0. The objectof my invention is to remove certain defects found in such existing ma- 1 5 chines as to my knowledge are used for that purpose, and to produce a machine of greater capacity for work. Under my improvement the combing operation proper is performed by a cylinder provided on a fixed and calcu- 2 lated portion only of its periphery or circumference with cards or strips armed with teeth, progressively increasing in fineness, so that the teeth which first act serve merely to open the fibers, the next to coarsely comb 2 the same, and so on until the fibers are ultimately finely combed. Vith this cylinder I combine feed-rolls, delivery-rolls, means for conveying the fibers from the i'cedrolls to the delivery-rolls, drawing-rolls, &c., all of 0 which move intermittently and during that portion of the revolution of the combing-cylinder when the unarmed portion of its periphery is passing the pointwhere the combing operation takes place. The conveying of the 5 combed fibers to the delivery-rolls is accomplished by means of an intermittently-reciprocating carrier-table, which serves effectively for this purpose, and is used in place of the cumbersome and complicated nipper mechan- I ism hitherto employed for the same purpose. The drawing of the combed fibers takes place between the delivery and the drawing rolls, there being combined with these instrumentalities intermediate reciprocating gil1-bars,

which act to straighten and render uniform the fibers while the latter are being drawn. The slow motion which I impart to the combing-cylinder, in conjunction with the formation and arrangement of the cylinder-teeth,

5o permits of a very perfect combing of fibers,

freeing them from knots and matted formations without great waste, and without injun ing or breaking them.

The nature of my invention and the manner in which the same is or may be carried into effect will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation of one side of a machine embodying my improvements, with the driving-gearing in broken lines. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the opposite side of the machine. These twofigures are to some extent diagrammatic, and are designed more particularly to illustrate the driving-gearing. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical central section, and Fig. 4. is a plan of the machine.

The various parts of the mechanism are supported in the frame (L a.

The combing-cylinder is represented at b. It is provided on a fixed and calculated portion only of its periphery or circumference with a number of cards or strips armed with teeth. The number may vary. In this instance I have represented eleven, lettered from b to b, inclusive. These cards progressively increase in fineness. T he coarsest is I), which first meets the yet uncombed fibers, and the finest is I), which last acts on the fibers.

The fibers to be acted on are fed into the machine by the two pairs of lluted feed-rolls ffandf f' The combed end of that portion of the fibers held by the feed-rolls is con veyed to the delivery-rolls g g by the inter- 1nittently-reciproeating table h, mounted on rollers it h", which run in guides ii in the frame. The table is moved forward by a vibratory lever-arm, j, which bears against a roller, 70, on the table, and it is moved back by a spring, If, which is put under tension when the table moves forward. The delivery-rolls g g are placed some distancein ad vance of the feedrolls, the intervening space being that in which the combing-cylinder acts on the ends of the fibers held by the feed and delivery rolls, respectively, which ends drop" down through this space and rest upon the combing-cylinder.

At intervals during the operation of the machine the fibers extend continuously between IOO the feed and delivery rolls above and out of contact with the combing-cylinder. To break their continuity so as to produce two ends which will drop down into contact with the combing-cylindeiya vibratory beater, e, is employed, which at stated times drops upon or is caused to descend and to strike the fibers, and thus break the web or sliver in two with out, however, breaking the fibers, the action being rather that which takes place when fibers are stretched and drawn apart endwise.

A roller, l, of wood or other suitable mate rial, is arranged between the feed-rolls and delivery-rolls and just in front of the latter. This roll, which is power-driven,like the others thus far referred to, co-operates with the table during'the forward movement of thelatter. The front end of the tablein moving forward comes under this roller, which may be termed the conveyingroller, and thelatter being in rotation and bearing upon the fibers on the table, feeds the latter forward and insures their delivery to the rolls 9 9.

To insure that the fibers shall be taken hold of by the feed-rolls and the delivery-rolls, the upper feedroll, f, is provided with a leather belt, which is stretched around it and a roll, f while a like belt, 172, is also stretched around the upper delivery-roll, g, and a roll, 9". The lower feed and delivery rolls may also have a similar provision, if desired. Beyond the delivery-rolls are the drawing-rolls an, which are so speeded with reference to the delivery-rolls as to prod uce the proper drawing of the combed fibers. The series of gears (hereinafter referred to) between these two pairs of rolls is calculated in the present instance to produce a drawing of from 1 to 8. Between the delivery and the drawing rolls are gill-bars c to c, inclusive, which during the time they are in action have the usual upand-down and back-and-forth movement, and which carry the fibers along from the deliveryrolls to the drawing-rolls, also assisting in the stretching or drawing operation, and serving materially to aid in the product of a uniform homogeneous sliver with even and parallel fibers. Beyond the d rawing-rolls is a trumpet or condenser guide, w, from which the sliver passes to the discharging-rolls 0 0, whence it passes into the can The combing cylinder, as customary, is cleaned by a stripping-cylinder, q, the stripping-cylinderis stripped by a revolving brush, r, and the brush is in turn stripped by a vibrating doffing-comb, 8.

Having described the general organization and arrangement of the parts which operate on the fibers, I proceed to explain the manner in which they operate, after which I shall describe the mechanism or gearing by which appropriate movement is imparted to the several parts.

liminariigprepared, so as to be brought-to the machineain the form of slivers or ribbons, which, as indicated in Fig. 1, pass from suitably-supported spools to the feed-rolls.

The fibers to be acted on are pre- It is to be noticed, first of all, that while the combing-cylinder has a continuous movement of rotation, yet it exercises an intermittent combing action, this being due to the fact that a portion only ofits circumference is provided with teeth, and the feed, delivery, and drawing rolls, &c., move intermittently only and during the time that intervenes between the successive combing operations. In the position in which the parts are represented in Fig, 3 the combing-cylinder and its cleaning and stripping adjuncts are in motion, the feed, delivery, and drawing rolls, &c., are at rest, the combingcylinder has finished the combing of the fibers which hang down from the deliveryrolls, and isjust about completing the combing of that portion of the fibers which hangs down from the feed-rolls, said portion, as shown, having been carried around and under the front end of the carrier-table. Continued revolution of the combing-cylinder carries its toothed surface beyond the fibers, thus leaving the two hanging or depending portions of the fibers combed. The feed, delivery, and drawing rolls, &c., now start to perform their part of the work. The feed-rolls feed'fresh fibers into the machine. The delivery-rolls carry along the combed portion of the fibers which they hold, ,the carrier-table advances quickly, carrying forward the combed portion which is bent around and under its front end, and this portion as the table reaches the conveying-rolleris caught between that roller and the table, and is fed forward to the deliveryrolls in time to meet the rear end of the combed portion already in the bite of those rolls, in this way making a continuous sliver. The table as soon as it performs its work at once retires to its first position. At the same time the sliver which extends between the delivery and drawing rolls is being drawn, said drawing operation being aided by the reciprocating gill-bars. The drawn sliver passes through the condenser to the dischargingrolls, and thence to the can. The parts thus operate so long as the unarmed or naked portion of the combing-cylinder is in action, there being a continuous web or sliver extending between the feed-rolls and delivery-rolls, which web or sliver is made up in the main or for the greater portion of its length of fresh uncombed fibers fed into the machine by the feed-rolls. By the time the first card, 6, of the cylinder comes around again into position to resume work the beater has descended and struck the web or sliver, so as to break it, and the two ends of said web have fallen down into position to meet the combing-cylinder. The feed, 850., then ceases, the combing-cylinder lIO resumes work, and the same series of operathe several parts of the machine, said shaft being provided, as usual, with fast and loose pulleys P P, to receive the driving-belt. The stripping-cylinder q is driven from said shaft through the intermediary of gear-wheels A of two hundred teeth; B, of one hundred teeth; 0', of one hundred teeth, and O of one huudred teeth. The brush a is driven from the stripping eylinder by gear-wheels E of one hundred and eighty teeth and F of ninety teeth. The dofling-coinb s is carried by arms i fast to a rock-shaft, t, and is operated from the brush r by a small pinion, s, of nine teeth, journaled in the frame of the machine and gearing with wheel F, and provided with a crank-pin, .s", which engages the forked upper end of a radial rod or arm, '6, on the rock-shaft t. The intermittent forward vibration of the lever j, which causes the advance of the earrier-table, is obtained by means of a gear, H, of two hundred teeth,which derives its move ment from wheel A through the intermediate H, of fifty teeth, and carries a sector, Lwhich engages the pinion L on the axis of the lever j. The teeth of the sector are suflicient in number to move the lever forward the distance requisite to insure the advance of the table to the desired point. The return movement of the lever takes place as soon as the sector quits the pinion, and is effected by the spring 7L3, acting through the intermediary of the carrier-table. The lever on its return movement will of course bring up against a suitable stop, which will assure it in proper position to meet the sector when the latter again comes around. In lieu of this arrangement the sector may have teeth equal in number to those of pinion L, thus causing the pinion, and consequently the lever, to make one complete revolution before the disengagement of the sector. In this event the lever should have a curved outer end, and should be of such length that it will pass by the roller 7.: when the table has been sufliciently advanced.

The beater c is intermittently lifted and allowed to drop by the following means: On the axis of the upper roll, 1'', of the first pair of feed-rolls is a thirty-toothed pinion, M,which drives a pinion, N, of forty-five teeth, on the axis of which is a cam-wiper, o. This eam wiper acts on a crank-pin, '0, fast on the shaft r", to which the beater is fixed. Thus during the revolution of the pinion N the beater, by the action of the cam-wiper on the crank,will be raised and then allowed to drop suddenly, which latter movement may be assisted by a spring, o, as indicated in Fig. 3.

The conveying-roller Z derives its motion from a thirty-toothed wheel, Q, on the axis of the upper delivery-roll, 9, through an intermediate, Q, of a like number of teeth, which gears with a wheel, R, of twenty teeth on the axis of the conveying-roller.

The drivinggcaring of the feed and delivery rolls is on the side of the machine opposite to that shown in Fig. 1, and can best be explained by reference to Fig. 2. These rolls, as

well as the gill-bars and the discharging-rolls, derive their movement from a sector, S, of seventy-five teeth on the driving-shaft of the machine.

There are two pairs of feed-rolls, and the rolls of each pair are geared together, so as to revolve in unison. The feedrolls should make about one and one-half revolution each time they are in operation, in order to supply a sufficient length of fiber or sliver to the machine. To this end the lower feed-roll, f", of the second pair is provided with a fiftytoothed pinion, T, which gears with the seventy-five-toothed driving-sector S. The lower roll, f, of the first pair derives its movement from a wheel, X, of thirty teeth on roll f, through the intermediate Y of forty teeth, which gears with wheel Y of thirty teeth on roll f. The delivery-rolls g g are actuated from roll f by an eighty-two-toothed wheel, Z, on the latter roll, which, through an intermediate, A, of seventy teeth, drives an eighty-toothed wheel, B, on the lower roll, 9. The drawing-rolls are driven from the wheel B of the lower delivery-roll, g, through the V series of compound intermediates 0 D, of forty and eighty teeth, respectively, the last one of the series gearing with the fortytoothed wheel Eon the lower drawing-roll, n. This series of gears is calculated to effect a drawing of from one to 8 between the delivcry and the drawing rolls. The dischargingrolls derive their movement from the lower drawing-roll, a, by means of a fifty-toothed wheel, F, on said roll, which, through an intermediate, G", of eighty teeth, drives the fiftytoothed wheel H on the lower dischargingroll, 0. The gill-bars are actuated as customary by two sets of endless screw-shafts, d d d (1 supported in proper bearings. The two lower shafts, d (2 are driven from a shaft, Q by beveled gearing Q, and in turn are geared to and drive the upper shafts, d d, as shown in Figs. 8 and 4. Shaft Q is provided with a wheel, 0, of one hundred teeth, which gears with and is driven by the fifty-toothed wheel on the lower discharging-roll, 0.

Having described my improvements and the best way known to me of carrying the same into effect, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. The continuously-rotating combing-cylinder provided on a portion only of its periphery with teeth gradually increasing in fineness, as described, in combination with the intermittently operating feed and delivery mechanisms and the beater, under the arrange ment and for operation substantially as hereinbefore described.

2. The combination of the continuously-rotating combing-cylinder provided with teeth on a portion only of its periphery, the intermittently-operating feed and delivery mechanisms,a heater or breaker whereby the sliver or web of fibers extending between the said delivery and feed rolls is intermittently sepa rated or divided, and the intermittently-re- ICC IIO

ciproeating carrier-table, these elements being arranged and having the mode of operation substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

3. The combination, with the feed mechanisms and the delivery mechanisms, of the intermittently-reciprocating carrier-table, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

4. The combination of the feed and delivery rolls, the intermittently-reciprocating carriertable, the conveying roller, and mechanism for actuating said parts, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

5. The continuouslyrotating combing-cylinder armed on a portion only of its periph ery with teeth, and the intermittently-operating feed and delivery mechanisms,in combination with the beater, the intermittently-reciprocating carrier-table, and the conveyingroller, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

6. The combination,with theintermittentlyoperating feed and delivery rolls and the continuously-rotating combing-cylinder armed on a portion only of its periphery with teeth, of .25

the drawing-rolls, and the gill-bars located between the said rolls and the delivery-rolls, together with mechanism for imparting appropriate movement to said parts, under the arrangement and for operation substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

7. The continuously-rotating combing-cylinder armed onaportion only of its periphery with teeth gradually increasing in fineness, as described, in combination with the intermittently-operating feeding, delivery, and drawing mechanisms, these elements being arranged and timed in their movements relatively to one another substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

THEODORE EUGENE SCHIEFNER,

\Vitnesses:

RoBr. M. HOOPER, ALPHoNsE BLisrRY. 

